Category Archives: Sandwich

Braised Mangalitsa Neck Roll Open Faced Sandwich with Mt. Townsend Creamery Fromage Blanc and Grand Central Bakery Ciabatta Bread

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I saw a local magazine that had the 48 best sandwiches in Seattle on it.  This sandwich was not on their list…..their list is invalid.

This is the best sandwich in Seattle.

The Mangalitsa neck roll is braised for 12 hours with my special touches and additions. The bread is toasted in brown butter then the meat is lightly fried in the remaining brown butter then the braising liquid is added on top of the sandwich. The cheese is added then to the broiler it goes.  Garnished with fresh parsley and sel de mer.

Again, this is the best sandwich in Seattle.

Eric

Puerto Ricans…..we do pork better than anyone else out there.  Don’t think so? You’ve never tried mine.

Mangalitsa B.L.T.

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If I owned a restaurant then this would definitely go on my menu for lunch. It might even be one of those things that I just have for a late-night menu that only a few chosen people know about (I like secrets). It’s a f’ing amazing sandwich and ridiculously easy to make but the ingredients are what make it amazing. It’s not just a b.l.t.

The bacon is from Wooly Pigs. Heath breeds mangalitsa pigs that currently have the highest fat content of any breed of pig. Fat is flavor, it’s that easy.  I bought his jowl bacon from him at the West Seattle Farmers Market and we have struck up a nice relationship.  If I had a restaurant he would be my ONLY choice for pork products.  He knows his stuff and is as passionate about his pigs as I am about cooking them.

The lettuce is sourced from my sister.  She was hounding me for a few days about picking it up so I could make something with it.  She was right, it was amazing.  She bought the starts from Seattle Tilth and they have been a great source for material for my cooking needs.

The bread is from one of my favorite bakeries in Seattle, Tall Grass Bakery. They make some pretty amazing breads and I am a huge fan of their olive fougasse.   I decided to try their sourdough rye in anticipation of this sandwich and it turned out to be the perfect pairing.

That little green sauce looking thing towards the top of the sandwich is an avocado puree that I have pretty much made my own. It’s an emulsified sauce that with a few additions will hold for a long period of time. These additions aren’t artificial and are from a  lot of research in the world of “molecular gastronomy” in order to keep it that green color for a long time……how long? 5 days.  Yeah, awesome.

The only thing I’m not happy about with this sandwich is the tomato.  It’s a store bought piece of garbage roma tomato. Mindy is growing some tomatoes for me so I will use those and make this sandwich again with her tomatoes….roma’s are awful.  Want a great tomato?  San Marzano or heirloom…that’s it.

Pick it up for us Eric. Ok.

I rendered down the jowl bacon to leave enough fat to toast the bread.  Fat on the outside of the bread, awesome.  Set the bacon on a paper towel then season it lightly with urfa biber and coriander (secrets).  The bread goes on the pan to toast then the lettuce and tomato get tossed in a lime thyme vinaigrette.  Put it all together, eat it, enjoy.

Eric

Iberico Ham + Beecher’s Flagship + Bread = Epic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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I have no idea why the bread looks so black…it was a nice golden brown color…..weird.  Anyway, EPIC GRILLED CHEESE!!!!!

I love Iberico Ham. #1 because it is probably the most amazing ham I’ve ever had and #2 it has my name in it….I just blew your mind didn’t I?

This is a very simple recipe to follow. You take some Iberico Ham then you place it on bread with some grated Beecher’s Flagship Cheese. Then you take some duck fat and put it on a pan and heat it up. Place EPIC SANDIWCH on pan then flip it once, serve it with fried parsley oil and you’re good to go!

Eric

Pancetta Demi-Baguette Sandwich with Pickled Delights, Sauteed Onions and Yellow Bell Peppers

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This sandwich has a little bit of everything and while it may seem there is too much going on the flavors compliment each other in such a great way.

I made my way to the farmers market and picked up some  pancetta and then brought it home then sliced it up in order to lightly cook it.  This is an easy way for me to salt something without having to add a bunch of extra salt, also the fat that is rendered off in the small saute pan worked out to be the starter for my vegetables along with a little help from some duck fat. You might as why would I take an expensive piece of pancetta and do this to it. I say, it’s been done a billion times so don’t think I’m the crazy one.

While the vegetables (onion, bell pepper, pickled shallots) were sweating I added some yellow pickled mustard seeds to the mix. I wanted to see how they would react to higher heat than what I used to pickle them.  They took on a little of the flavor from the fat which too me in a different direction for the next time I use these in a dish. The mushrooms were added towards the latter part of the sweating process in order for them not to be mushy.

The pancetta was removed earlier in the process and I placed it over some chopped kalamata olives. I think it’s best to have the salty stuff at the bottom of the sandwich because it allows your tongue to have that initial salt taste then as you chew the other flavors develop. The kalamata olives were in a standard bottle with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with a salty brine so this salty pairing was perfect for the bottom layer of sandwich.

The vegetables were finished so I placed them on top of the pancetta/olive layer then added some Beecher’s flagship cheese then placed the sandwiches in the oven under broil to melt the cheese.  When I removed them I placed a few quick pickled cucumbers on top to give a crunch to the sandwich when eating. I think crunch is important for a sandwich like this.

When I make a sandwich like this again I will most likely make the bread myself. The bread really didn’t stand out the way it should have in order to make the entire sandwich great.  I will chop the pancetta smaller and spread it out on the top and bottom of the sandwich in order to highlight it more. It wasn’t lost but it certainly could have been better presented. I think next time I will use pancetta rounds instead of choosing the flat pancetta.

Eric

Adobada Deviled Ham Sandwich

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Want to eat great pork? Ask a Puerto Rican to make it for you. :) Keep telling me about your great pork recipes and then I’ll wait patiently until you visit Puerto Rico (or me) and you will finally see why I smile a little bit everytime I try your recipe.  Take a trip, it’s worth it (click)!!!!

Ingredients:

  • Smoked Ham, cubed
  • Recao leaves (coriander leaves)
  • Yellow and red roasted bell peppers
  • Sweet onion
  • Pique, my own, made with peppers from my mom’s backyard in Puerto Rico
  • Adobo, my own mix.
  • Demi-Baguette rolls
  • Quick pickled cucumbers
  • Jicama
  • Cilantro
  • Pepperjack cheese

Procedure

  1. Sweat the onion then add the yellow and red roasted red bell peppers
  2. Add the adobo and pique then add the smoked ham
  3. Remove from heat then place in food processor with recao leaves
  4. Remove from food processor then place in refrigerator overnight
  5. Spread deviled ham over sandwich then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour pique over the top.
  6. SANDWICH TIME!!!

Eric

Cleaning out the refrigerator sandwich: Braised Short Rib and Quail Egg Sandwich

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On a scale of 1 to 10 I give this sandwich an Eleventy!!!11!!!!!!!1!!!!   We’re in the process of packing crap up so that involved getting rid of/eating as much stuff in the refrigerator I could so I didn’t have to move it.  I used some leftover braised short rib meat, pepperjack cheese and 6 quail eggs with a a touch of salt and pepper…simple and awesome.  I made another sandwich that I gave to Mindy but I didn’t take a picture of it (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH).  It was a sauteed salumi sopressatta sandwich with fried egg…she loved it.   Before I die I want to create a signature Seattle sandwich (such morbid thoughts but its a goal of mine).

Eric

United Way of King County’s Hunger Action Week: Braised Short Rib, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich

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Added a little pepper jack cheese to the mix. I spent my last $2.00 on it and it was a wise purchase!

No more ?.L.T’s for a while.  I have eaten 5 of them this week….

YES WE CAN (CLICK)

Eirc

B.L.T. Panini with Duck Fat Fries and Adobo Tarragon Mayonnaise

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I haven’t made lunch for Mindy in a long time so I decided today would be a great day for that.  I asked her to come home but she was a little busy at work and she didn’t know exactly what time she would be home…..  She sent me a text message and said, “can you be ready in 25 minutes?”   OH CRAP!!  33 minutes later…………..ta-da!

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
  • tarragon
  • adobo (my mix)
  • Salt and chipotle pepper

Sandwich

  • French bread
  • Adobo Tarragon Mayonnaise
  • Romaine Lettuce
  • Pepperjack cheese, cut 1/8 inch thick
  • Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and long cut 1/4 inch slice
  • 4 strips bacon, cut in half and rendered slowly for 20 minutes

Duck Fat Fries (click for recipe)…….I froze a sheet pan full of them so all I had to do was heat up the fat and then fry them.

Procedure

Mayonnaise

  1. Place egg in mixer…..set to high…..walk away
  2. Come back and slowly pour in olive oil
  3. Once mayonnaise is into desired texture slowly whisk in the rest of the ingredients

Sandwich

  1. Place lettuce then tomato then bacon then cheese and spread a little mayonnaise on bread then cover with bread
  2. Take a little butter then place on hot skillet
  3. Place sandwich on pan then squish with other pan  (click here for example)
  4. Flip after 1 1/2 minutes then press again
  5. Remove from heat, serve with duck fat fries and a little mayonnaise on the plate.

A few minutes later than expected but it was worth it.

Eric

P.B.& J. Of course it’s a little more than that

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It’s National Pomegranate Month so I’m pulling out all the stops. This is my second post featuring pomegranates for this celebration of the all mighty POM Wonderful Pomegranates.

Lynda Resnick (the owner of POM) sent me a copy of her book and it inspired me to just go full bore with my ideas and not worry about what anyone else thinks. She famously “overpaid” for Jackie Kennedy’s pearl necklace. She paid $211,000 for it at auction but then came up with a great idea for it. She struck a deal with the Franklin Mint to make exact replicas and sell those replicas for $200 a piece. After 130,000 replicas sold who overpaid? Nope……not Lynda.

I have lots of ideas in the kitchen but sometimes I don’t know how to effectively pull them off (money/time/still new at this whole cooking thing) so that is one reason I am going to culinary school. The only bad thing about culinary school is that I have to wait for things to happen and I can’t just make them happen when I want. I’m in American Regional Cuisine right now and well, I don’t see jellies or jams in the horizon so I have been doing my own research on the side. I don’t care if things work or don’t work or who has an opinion about what….I cook, I’m trying, and I’m having more fun than anyone will ever have doing this.

Here is what I have come up with:

Pomegranate Jam and Pistachio Nut Butter Sandwich.

Ingredients:

For jam

  • Whole POM Wonderful pomegranate, seeded and juiced
  • Agave Nectar
  • Pectin

For nut butter

  • 1 cup Wonderful Pistachios (yeah, she owns that too :)
  • Grape Seed Oil

Procedure:

  1. Place pomegranate juice in small sauce pan and slowly reduce by 25%
  2. Add agave nectar (to taste), and 1/2 tbsp. pectin
  3. Stir and place in freezer for an hour or so until mixture thickens to a jam consistency
  4. Place pistachios in food processor and process until there is a nice paste
  5. Add a little grape seed oil then remove from food processor then place on bread with jam

Eric

Thanks again Lynda!

Audrey’s Vegetarian French Dip

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My roommate Audrey made this sandwich yesterday. I thought it was worth a post because it tasted pretty damn good. It doesn’t beat a real French Dip but it certainly is a good substitute for those non-meat eaters.

Ingredients:

  • Portobello mushrooms……large and small
  • Soy sauce
  • Cornstarch
  • Onions, caramelized
  • Bread
  • Black pepper, tt
  • Provolone cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Procedure:

  1. Take a medium sauce pan and pour in 3 cups of water and a few small mushrooms then simmer for an hour or two.
  2. During the last half hour mix together cornstarch and soy sauce then slowly pour it into simmering mushroom stock.  This will slightly thicken the dip.
  3. Brush the large Portobello mushrooms with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Remove them from the oven then slice about an inch thick then place on sandwich with onions and cheese.
  5. Pour some mushroom stock into ramekins and serve.

Enjoy,

Eric

Candied Ginger Egg Salad Sliders

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Who would have thought that candied ginger and eggs would go so good together? Me, that’s who (No confidence problems here, nope!).

Equipment:

  • Stock pot with boiling salty water
  • Mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Microplane

Ingredients:

  • Slider buns, toasted in butter
  • Eggs, boiled
  • Mayonnaise,  I would have made it myself but I didn’t feel like it. ta-da!
  • Salt and white pepper, to taste
  • Candied ginger, to taste
  • Italian parsley

Procedure:

  1. Mix the mayo, eggs, salt, pepper, and candied ginger together
  2. Place on top of slider bun and garnish with Italian parsley

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo easy.
Eric

Chop and Avocado Sandwich

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Sandwich! Here is my second sandwich submission while I try to stumble my way through creating some signature sandwiches. I’m not creating these sandwiches for any particular reason, I just get hungry sometimes. A little cheese on this would have been nice…

Ingredients:

  • Herbs De Provence Brined Pork Chop
  • Avocado
  • Arugula
  • Red Leaf Lettuce
  • Purple Sweet Pepper
  • Champagne Vinaigrette

Pastrami Sandwich

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I love sandwiches. I’ve always wanted to create my own signature sandwich so I am starting the process of doing that. Of course  it won’t be just one sandwich, it will probably be 20 different sandwiches. This Pastrami Sandwich is awesome and I will definitely be adding this to the list of signature sandwiches. I’ll leave the ingredients for you but I’m keeping the techniques in my back pocket.

Ingredients:

  • Pastrami
  • Cheese
  • Black Olives
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Tomato
  • Mushroom

Awesome!

Eric

Bachelor Dude Food: Day 1 LUXURIOUS GRILLED CHEESE

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(Click each picture to make it larger)

Mindy, my wife, and I have been married for 8 years. I really don’t have any idea what it would be like to be a bachelor so here is my best guess. I miss her…………..she’s with her friend, Audrey, for Audrey’s birthday. I was going to go but I have to work, SCHOOL IS EXPENSIVE!  So here you go, expensive grilled cheese sandwich….leftovers from the 24, 24, 24, contest.

Ingredients:

Campo de Montalban Cheese, grated
Iberico Ham
Bread
Butter

Take a non-stick pan place 1 tbsp. butter in the pan then heat. Place bread on the pan with butter and ham and cheese filling then cook for 3 minutes on medium-high heat. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy,

Eric

Bachelor Dude Food!!!